Animal Instincts
by GGirl5280
Summary: Lexi Grant loves her job. She's a zookeeper. Her animals and her career come first. She's married to her work. When Noah Lenox enters her world with his wicked good looks and a smile that could make her panties melt off, she wonders if he can show her what she's been missing.


Chapter 1:

"Zuma! Zuma come down here!"

Ok here's the first thing you should know about me. I'm a zookeeper, not just any keeper, a great ape keeper. Gorillas to be exact. I seriously take care of the rowdiest group in the country, or that's how it seems to me anyway.

"Zuma! I'm counting to 3 and you better be down here or no oranges for you buddy!" Zuma is our male dominant silverback, and he just loves to push my buttons…not as much as he loves oranges.

"One…two…." in comes Zuma. "You bastard" I say to him as he grumbles at me. Ok, one. Two. Three. Four. Five. All five are here. Zuma, the dominant male, Zeke our other silverback, and our three females, Nala, Toki, and Vicki. "Who's ready for breakfast?" I'm answered by a chorus of low grumbles and heavy sighs. Breakfast is my favorite meal to give these guys. After spending all night in the dark with no one to keep them company, they always seem so appreciative of my appearance first thing in the morning.

About an hour later the exhibit is ready to go and I'm hauling what feels like 10 tons of greens up for breakfast. Jared comes walking down the hall and I catch sight of him out of the corner of my eye. He stalks towards me in his dark green polo sporting the zoo logo and khaki cargo shorts that set low on his slender waist. He sure is something to look at.

Jared and I have been friends since I started three years ago. Recently, our friendship has grown more flirtatious and intimate. We're not dating exclusively by any means, but we go out together and have fun. He's growing on me for sure but my career comes first, my animals come first and while Jared would completely get that, it's not fair to string him along. I haven't been in a serious relationship since college and that turned out to be a bust when I caught wind that my "one and only" has been seen around town with more than one and definitely not his only. Ain't nobody got time for that.

"Hey Lex!"

I look up and nod at Jared and flash a bright smile. "So John is touring some big wig corporate hot shot tomorrow"

My brows furrow in question "What for?" I ask.

"Apparently he owns some big import/export airliner and John wants to do business with him for large mammal shipment"

"I hope John knows what he's getting into" I reply.

Freeze frame for a minute. Let me tell you a bit about our mammal curator, John Warner. He's been doing this job for decades (no, really) but you would never know it. He doesn't keep up with the times and wants to do things the old fashioned way. The fact that he's looking into this makes me want to laugh, sometimes old fashioned is ok, but for him? He lives in the stone age. Not to mention, he looks like it too. Actually, he looks more like the nerdy chemistry professor that you had in college. He definitely does not carry himself with confidence. I swear he was more nervous during my interview than I was. Needless to say, I wowed John with my knowledge of the animals and my stunning personality. It helped that I had four years of internships under my belt and an abundance of great ape experience.

Ok unfreeze. "Yeah he tends to do things half cocked most of the time, this guy knows nothing about animals or shipment. Apparently he imports/exports machinery" Jared informs me.

"And John thinks this is a good idea because….?"

"Because it's Noah Lenox"

I give a half nod knowing full well that John is in it to get him on the board. It's all about the money. "Yeah well I hope John looks over his credentials and gets the other members of the board to sign off on it."

I take a look at my gorillas and sigh "He better have their best interests in mind" I nod towards the troop.

"He may be ancient Lex, but I don't think he's stupid."

I smile at Jared, and for an instant he makes me feel better about the situation.

"So you wanna do something tonight?" Jared gives me that adorable half smile.

Ah! How can I resist that smile? "Absolutely, your place or mine?"

"Um….let's do mine. I can get dinner too."

"Alright well I'll go home first and meet you there around seven?"

"Sounds good. I gotta get back down to bears."

Jared turns to leave and I can't help but watch that boy walk out. Damn, he can wear those khakis.


End file.
